Knockdown crate.



No. 669,728 Patented Mair. I2, 1901."

' J. HEAGERTY.

KNOCKDOWN CRATE (Application filed Dec. 19, 1900.) w

' v 2 Sheets-Shut I.

(No Model .5

Inventor.

witness es.

lttiorney.-

.QUNifFE-D STATES EREnIAnimAennTY; nd ame, NEW roan.

YK dqkbowu h -f r v j sPEcuncAf. r 1oN forming art ofLetterdBatentNo. 669,728, dated lllliarch12, 1901. v 4 'A uaaosnanmnteuamoo. 'seanno.4o'.s7; (irritatingv at all mama-Mt a Be it known that I, .lnnnmm HEAenirr v,

Y of Oswe o, in the countyof Osweg'o, in the State of ew York, have invented new and ,5 useful Improvementsin Knockdown Crates,

-of-which the-follewing taken inconneetien with the acco' panying drawings, is a full, clear, andfexact description. I I

. My invention relates to certain improvements in knockdown crates for packing and transporting vegetables, fruits, and the like. The object of my invention is toprovide an improved knockdown cratethat is light, strong, cheap, and durable and that can be r 5 easily and quickly put together or taken apart to occupy less space when empty and during transportation. 1-. .I

These objects are accomplished by and my invention consists in certain novel features of construction hereinafter-described, but

particularly in a removable resilient corneriron', preferably formed of wire, which -is' adapted to hold the sides rigidly together and at right angles to each other .when the crate is rectangular.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification, Figure '1 is a perspective view of myinvention with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view' of a fragment of the crate and crate-cover, showing the catch or fastening device thereon for hr lding tl e lid closed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the wire eornerirons or clasps. Fig. 4 shows a fragment of the 3 5 crate and lid with its simple wire hinges- Fig.

5 is a view of the bottom of the crate with its attaching means, and Fig. 6 shows a modification at said attaching means.

. Referring specifically to the drawings, A

0 and A =-rethe front and back, and B B are the ends Tithe crate. Each of the four sides of the crate. is formed of a plurality of thin wooden horizontal slats a, spaced apart preferably about the width of a slat, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and secured at their ends by nails or screws to vertical or upright "strips Ij"o1'1'"'tlie outside. "The slats t are so placed in relation to the strips 1) that the latter project beyond the ends of the slats a, 5:: and the front strips 1: lie upon the edges of said end. portions having each an annular shape to fit the corner.

At each corner the slides areheld. together by one or-more resilient corner irons or clasps G, formedot a peculiarly-shaped iron or brass 'wire. ;f In Fig. 1 two of these wire clasps are .shown on each corner.

An enlarged; view of one of the clasps removed is shown in Fig. 3. Each clasp is formed of-a single piece of wire. -The wire is bent at right augles to a short-vertical central portion 0, correspond-. ing in lengthtd thedistance between the slats a..- It is then curved horizontally'atpoints cf c', so that the said central portion 0 will v lie upon the inside of a vertical strip between the slats a a,-a nd the end portions 0" (2" pass around the cornerv of the crate on the outside,

,70 The ends 0' 0" of the wire are bent inward to enter between the slats on'the other side of the crate, and-the extremities 0" 05' of the wire are bent to extend vertically'in opposite directions and lie upon the inside of the horizontal slats a a. As the clasp is resilient and is bent-s0 that the opposite ends are forced apart after being entered between the slats and released, the corner of the crate is securely locked together against displacement.

'lostill further insure against the vertical displacement of the sides of the crate at the corners, a short piece D of wood is nailed 'or otherwise secured to each upright of the ends on the inside between two of the slats, with one of its ends projecting outward between two of the horizontal slats of the front or rear side. These pieces being secured at each corner there is no liability whatever when a pair of corner-clasps are in position at each corner for any-(lisplacemeut of the parts when the crate is lifted by the ends or sides even when the crate is iilled.

The bottom E is provided on its lower side at or near its ends with a pair of cleats or thin strips'e 'e nailed thereto, their eluls projecting beyond the sides of the bottom and lying against the lower edges of the lower horizontal slats a u, as shown in Figs. 1, and 6. 100

the ends trips b. Iii'other words, the corners v are square and are matchedtogether to form a strong rigid corner that cannot slip iout of The ends of the cleats e e are saddled in wire supports F, passing between the bottom and theinner sides of the lower slats, the ends ff of the supports being bent over to lie upon the top and outer sides of the said slats, as shown in Fig. 5. In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the cleat is secured at the end of the bottom, and' the wire supports F extend di; agonally across the ends of the chat, .on'e hooked end of 'the support bearing upon the slat of the front or back of the crate and the other hooked end upon the slat of the end of the crate: In order to allow the supports to pass .between the slats and the bottpm, the latter either should be smaller thanthe space between the slats or recesses should be 'made in the bottom board.

' The cover'G is secured to the'top slataofi;

the back by very simple wireihinges. The

hinges g are formed by wire staples, driven inflimpflatandme rid-having their upper endstui'ned "over to form a hook g, one leg of the staple being preferably longer than the other to insure against the splitting of the shut. The other members of the hinges are each formed of a wire it, bent to form a loop to engage the said hook and ha'ving their ends driven in the cover forward of the rear edge, their end portions lying upon the top side ofthe cover and their central portions h passing under the hookg'. Then the cover is raised and thrown back sufliciently, it may be easily detached from the hooks.- I

The spring catch or fastener for the front sideof the lid is formed of 'a single piecaof wire d, having one end passing through the cover and suitably clenched off its lower side,

-- the other end of the wire being bentover upon the outer side of the upper slat a, of the front and provided with a hook d on its extremity to bear against the lower edge of the slat.. When the lid is,dropped,-'thehook passes over the outer side of the slat and under it automatically, and when it is desired to raise the lid the wire is pulled outward from beneath the slat.

The wire forming the hinges and catch for the cover may be of small diameter and reinforced by small wire staples z 11, passing over and entering the lid, as indicated in the,

drawings, or at any other points desired.

The crate may be shaped otherwise than rectangular and more than a pair of cornerirons may be placed on a corner,

Having described my invention, what I. claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A knockdown crate, having each.side formed of horizontal slats spaced apart and secured at their ends to vertical strips, and angular resilient corner-irons clasping said vertical stri ps at the corners of the crate and entering between the said slats, as set forth.

2. A.knockdown crate having each side formed of horizontal slats spaced apart and eeavzs secured at their ends to vertical strips, said strips being on the outside of said sides, and angular resilient corner-irons clasping' said .vertical strips at the corners of the crate and entering between the slats of two of the sides, as set forth.

3. A knockdown crate :having each side formed of horizontal slatsspace'd apart and secured at their ends to vertical strips projecting beyoudthe'ends of the slats and one overlapping the other at each corner to form a square and matched 'corner, the vertical strips being on the outer side of the slats, and resilient angular ,corner-irous clasping said vertical strips and enteringbeb een the slats of two of the'si'des, as set forth.

.4. 'A crate having horizontal slatsspaced apart on each side, a bottom inside the'lower'.

'slatshavin g cleats projecting beyond the bottom and lying against'the lo'wer edgeof the said lower slats-and removable re'silient wire supports for the bottom 'passing below the ends of thecleats and upward between the .bottom and the'said slats and having hooks bearing on the top edges of .the lower slats,

as set forth.

5. A crate having horiz'ontalslats spaced I apart on each side, a bottom'inside-the lower slats havingci ts projecting beyond the bottom and lyin against the lower edge of the said lower slate, and wire supports for-the bottom passing diagonally below the ends of cleats and upward between-the bottom and the said slats and having hooks bearing on the top edges of the lower slats, as set forth. 6. -A knockdown crate having each side formed of horizontal slats spaced apart and secured attheir ends to vertical strips, said strips being on the outside of said sides and projecting beyond the ends of the slats, angular resilient corner-irons claspin g said vertical strips at the corners of the crate and en tering between the slats of two of ,thesides,

a bottom inside the lower slats having cleats IIO' projecting'beyond the bottom and lying' againstthe lower edge of the said lower slats, wire supports for the bottom passing below the ends of. the cleats and. upward between the bottom and the said slats and-having hooks bearing on the top edges of the lower slats, a lid, hinges formed of bentstaples secured to the upper rear slat, wires secured to the lid and passing rearward to the staples and bent around them, and a resilient fastening device for the front edge of the cover formed of a wire secured at one end to the top of the lid and extending forward and downward on the front side of the upper shit and provided on'its free end with a hook to' bear upon the lower edge of the said upper firont slat, as set forth.

. 1'7. A clasp for the corner of a knockdown other, andends turned inwardly and then outwardly, as and for the purpose described.

8. A resilient metal clasp for the corner of a knockdown crate consisting of a wire having a straight central portion 0, curved portions 0, o, lying in two parallel planes, angularportions c, c", in wardly-bent portions 0", c, and outwardly-bent extremities 0", 0"",

substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I, JEREMIAH HEA- GERTY, have hereunto signed my name.

JEREMIAH HEAGERTY. [L. s.] Witnesses:

ED. C. SCHILLING, WALTER SIMMONS. 

